Oath Bearers
by Outcast-Angel
Summary: A Ranger on the Wall possesses strange and magical abilities. What house is he from? Or is he a magic user? A venture into the far North holds the secrets to the man's lineage and family.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the series "A Song of Ice and Fire" or "A Game of Thrones". It belongs to George R. R. Martin as the Author of the books and to any and all others who published the book along with those who made the television series. Any characters I may use belongs to them as well.

**Chapter One**

A ranger walked through the icy passages of the Wall. He was caped in black and booted with leather. His long sliver hair normally flowed to his waist, but it now blew in the cold icy wind of the night. His eyes seemed to match feeling of the land down North, a light and cold blue. "My turn on watch," the ranger's voice called out to another sitting by a small fire. He looked like most the others here; heavily coated in whatever they could find, most always seen around a fire, and brawny. Oh, with a side of sword.

The other smirked as he looked at him. Emil wore a thinner shirt under his cape and just one pair of pants while others wore two or three. "We all know you're bold, Emil. But you can't bold the cold tonight," he chuckled and stood. As he passed Emil, the ranger, he gave him a pat on the back. Emil sat down in his place and faintly hear the voice call back, "Keep that fire going!"

Emil snorted. _Don't you tell me._ He leaned back and looked at his work area for the night to come. The Wall continued to go upwards and the little opening for the watch was quite narrow. The distance from his back to the wall opposite was only two of an arm's length. The fire next to him radiated a little warmth against the cold. The drop off was only a foot away.

Looking out beyond the wall Emil feel some peace. Odd, for beyond this wall is a threat, or so is told to them by all superiors. The snow blanketed forest called with the howl of the wind in the night. While on duty nothing was heard from others or spoken. You sat there and watched. Waited. Nothing was seen down below for who knows how long. The so-called "White walkers" or "Others" whatever name you please to call them, have not been sighted for ages.

Emil drifted off in thoughts of his own, the frost of the night nipping at him and all others who sat on watch. They were to 'watch' for anything going on down below, but honestly, nothing happened down there for many, many years. Would this time be different? Emil always kept that thought in mind. Why not be optimistic for some excitement in this bleak and boring place?

Next thing he knew, the sun was about to rise. His limbs were all frozen to place. Emil cursed under his breath - which showed in the still cold. He had fallen asleep for a good while. Why hadn't anyone woke him? Because if you screw up on the Wall you deal with your own consequences, or the consequences are dealt _to _you. Emil cracked his neck and broke his icy clothes off of the floor or himself. He walked to the hall that led down to the elevator. Walking there a few of the other watchmen broke a small grin once they broke eye-contact and pushed past him. _Oh yeah, I'm sure Doctor told them already._

Emil stepped into the elevator, as did another cloaked man in black. The door shut and the ride down commenced. Emil barely heard a chuckle escape the man's mouth. As quick as a snake lunges his hand grasped the other's neck and Emil held him up. The guy grunted and desperately tried to free his own neck with his two hands. Emil tipped his head to the side a bit and spoke in his dark voice, "Think something's funny about me?" His straight face and cold, piercing eyes must of pierced the man's heart because of his reaction. He began crying a bit and pleading him to let him go.

Emil, a ranger, was highly above this 'watchman'. He was a recruit, and yet to take his vows. If this man was to make a vow, his cowardice would make him a steward indeed. For, if the man were not a coward he would have fought… or least of all not wept like a baby in a cradle. Emil sighed and released the man. He coughed and caught a breath of air on his knees. Emil stood in place, lacking all emotion and motion as the door opened. He stepped out as the man behind him got up slowly.

The training yard was full of recruiters and sparring. The Lord Commander watching them all. Emil stealthily moved to his quarters in Hardin's Tower. The one door with a lock on it stood clear in view. He moved towards it quickly so no one would hear him. "Emil! Come here old boy!" came a jolly voice from a few doors down the hall. Emil closed his eyes and sighed. _All most there._ Emil regrettably moved to the opened door. Inside was a ton of gadgets and gizmos which Emil - nor any other man of the Wall - knew not what they would do if activated. Sitting at a desk was a large man with short white hair and he was turned away from the black cloaked man at his door. He wore regal clothes and had a rather large staff at his side for moving around and fighting with whenever he needed to. He was Doctor. He raised Emil from child to the man he was today.

"Hello Doctor," Emil sneered as he stood right outside his door.

"Well _do_ come in lad. It's been a while" Doctor waved his hand for him to enter, still not even looking at him.

Emil quietly walked in and shut the door. There was a chair in front of his desk, of which he sat in so they could talk face-to-face. The man had a smirk on his face as he leaned forward and rested his chin on his folded hands. They stayed like this for a good while. Emil's dull and emotionless face looking at Doctor's smiling and slightly chubby one. Finally he got fed up with him, "What do you want, Doctor?" Emil yelled out.

Doctor's smile faded a little, but it was still there as he leaned back again. "Now, now. No need to get upset. We were just having a good telepathic talk there, that's all." He turned in his chair and slowly got up with his staff. "You're not very nice to me, even in your head." he chuckled. "Though some things I had said were sure-"

"We _didn't_ have a tele…pavic conversation." Emil cut in before he got too far. He stared at him coldly as he responded. He always stared at him coldly when he responded. You could never know what was coming out of his mouth next.

Doctor stopped in his place as Emil spoke. "Tele_pathic_, my dear boy. And if that is so, then forget I ever said anything! Now why did I call you in here?" He pondered on that for a moment and put a hand to his forehead and massaged it. Doctor snapped his fingers. "Ah! I did not see you come in last night from your watch! Did you get lost? Hungry? Find a girl? Find a man?"

Emil stopped him there. "No. First of all; do you really wait and watch for me to return when I go on watch? It's not like I ventured off into the North. I'm just on top of a castle of ice. Secondly, I just fell asleep Doctor. No midnight snack. No women. No…" he remembered his last comment. _Find a man?_ He jabbed a finger at him "_Hell _no."

Doctor scoffed at his last comment. "My dear boy, are you against men getting with men? I hear it is quite a thing around these parts. Also," he walked to him and tipped Emil's chin up. "Why is your skin not blue or cold if you really did sleep up there?"

The cloaked man yanked his head away from the man's hand. "_You _tell _me_." he growled. "Any other man would have died up there." Emil showed him his frozen clothes and put it to his hand. Doctor jumped back. "Tell me, Doctor, why can I do things nobody else can? Extraordinarily different things that would kill other men?"

A soft smile appeared on the man's lips. "Emil. What makes every man different? Extraordinarily? Every man has something that makes him a oath taker here. It's what makes us all survivors." He tapped a finger to his head. "My knowledge for example." His finger was now jabbed at him. "Your endurance of the extreme cold." The finger of importance flung to the door. "Or another man's strength out there. His agility. His skills with a blade or axe or hammer."

Emil shrugged his shoulders and stood. On his way out he patted the doctor's back. "Thanks for the talk, Doc." Before closing the door he slipped out, "and get some sleep!" _Damn fool hasn't slept for days working on that new 'project' of his._ Emil stopped at his own room. Retrieving the key from his inner coat pocket and putting it in the lock another voice called from the hall. It was a man he'd never seen. Or perhaps he had, but just cared not to remember.

"Lord Lair, the Lord Commander needs an audience with you immediately." He spoke like a dog he was. A dog for bigger dogs to bark orders to.

Emil needed something from his room first. He waved at the man saying a "Yeah, yeah," and entered his own place. The room was dark with no windows. No need, he knew exactly where it was. Emil leaned in and his hand clenched onto the hilt. The long blade of his - also latched onto a belt - was sheathed. Inside was a fine made sword that could pierce any armor here. He belted himself, locked the door quickly, and walked to the Lord Commander's room with the messenger following scared behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The large wooden door lay opened at the top of Commander's Keep. Into the quarters of Lord Commander Jeor Mormont he ventured. The large man stood tall and proud in his room. The Old Bear they called him, whether it be because of his looks or skills or both. Emil agreed with the last one. Mormont was large and gruff, but also old and powerful. He was dressed as he usually was, with his extra large cape laid atop his shoulders and back.

Mormont's mouth curled up as Emil entered. Emil had on his typical face - dull and indifferent. He stopped in his walk a foot before the large scruffy man. He looked up to glance into his eyes. _He's going to assign me something._ Yes, its happened enough. He could tell by the way he looked and acted right in this room. Mormont bellowed out a laugh. "Do I even need to say it?" _Ah, he's caught on to my thoughts._ "Yes. I need to send you out on a mission down South a bit. You and the Doctor." The man rolled out a map on a small table nearby.

Emil groaned. "Please, no. I've had enough of that man in my life. Can't it be someone else's turn?"

The Lord Commander looked up from the map at him, "You'd rather stick around here and carry out the daily routines?" he questioned. As the moment of silence showed the agreement on Emil's face he motioned him to come near the map. A finger was jabbed at a large point. "Winterfell. A young lord there needs the doctor's examination. Take care of it, will you?" The map was quickly rolled up and shoved into Emil's chest. The smaller cloaked man took it and placed it into his coat pocket.

Exiting the room he heard the Old Bear's voice call out, "Give my thanks to Doctor!" Back at the open area of the castle there were the trainees. The master-of-arms stood above them, watching and insulting. Emil scowled. _I hate that man._ He'd been there, and been disrespected by the arms master himself. _Oh, how I'd love to send that man over the Wall._

Emil entered Doctor's room again, this time to find him fiddling with a small machine on his desk. Emil lightly knocked on the door and Doctor swiped the object off the desk, quickly stuffing it in a desk drawer. "Emil!" he exclaimed as he saw who it was that had interrupted him. "Do come in! Have a seat!"

"Doctor," Emil's eyes flickered to the drawer he had put the strange thing in. "Time to go. We've an errand to run."

Doctor stood and clapped "Oh goodie! Where to, laddie?"

"Winterfell. A boy fell off of something. You're needed."

"Very lightly put Emil!" Doctor chuckled. "And you're coming along for what?"

"I've been assigned the delightful duty of protecting you as you travel to and fro." Though the statement was said through clenched teeth. Sure the Doctor was a good guy to raise Emil, but he hated being paired up with the guy for every little thing. The man was odd.

"Ah! A good father-and-son bonding time, eh?" he laughed lightly. "Should be a wonderful time! Just like when you were a little boy…"

"We never went camping, Doctor…" Emil stated, now just waiting for him to hurry along and get ready. That could take a while.

Doctor stared at the ceiling. "Yep. Just like when you were a little boy…" He finally seemed to snap out of it and grabbed a small bag that was hanging on a nail by the far wall of the room. "All ready to go?" He asked Emil who sat quietly by the door still.

"Yes Doctor. I'm always ready. I have a to-go bag." He pointed to the bag that Doctor just grabbed off the nail. "Like you, it seems."

Looking at the bag in his hands then back at Emil, Doctor raised an eyebrow. "This isn't a to-go bag. This is my hall-traveling bag. My to-go bag is two halls down."

Emil just walked away and questioned him as he usually did. "Why do you need a bag to go two floors down, Doctor?"

He ran and caught up with Emil, pulling something out of his bag. "It's got the door key in it." reaching back in he let out a yelp. He stuck his finger in his mouth. "Something bit me." He stuffed his face in the bag. "What else is in here?" he questioned himself, muffled by the bag.

"Stairs, Doctor." Emil notified him, stepping to the side as he fell down a small flight of stairs. He casually walked by the fallen old man and continued down the stairs.

Doctor swiftly got up, "You're mean." he whimpered as he caught up.

"I gave you some notice." Emil said as he turned down another staircase.

The strange old man ran down the stairs and to the door that required the key in his hand. The lock unlatched and he ran inside for only a moment. Emil only caught a quick glimpse, but it was pitch black inside. The door was hastily locked when he exited.

"Where's your hall bag?" Emil questioned him, only seeing Doctor's new bag (which, frankly, looked just like other one).

"Oh, what do you care Emil?" The Doctor said sourly as he walked ahead. They both walked down the hall in quietness. Doctor kept looking back at Emil to catch his uncaring expression, eyes forward and mouth lined straight. They arrived outside Castle Black where their horses were stabled. Doctor eyed his horse with disapproval. "Emil, where is my pony?"

Emil looked at him questioningly. "We've never had a pony, Doctor." Emil mounted his own horse and mumbled "I don't even think you've seen one before…"

"No, no, I distinctly remember having a pony not but eleven months ago." The horse nuzzled the Doctor but he pushed it away with disgust. "Now, I demand to have my pony, or I shall not leave." He crossed his arms as a kid would as to say 'and that's that.'

Emil got off of his horse and ventured further into the stables. He inspected each horse to get lucky and find this imagined pony. The examination was complete; there was no pony. Although the horse Emil did choose was small and weak. The undersized horse was led by Emil to the Doctor. "Here." He muttered to him as the reigns were handed over.

The Doctor's face lit up and he happily mounted the small animal while thanking Emil. The ranger spoke no more than he had to on their way out of the Wall, even though the Doctor spoke plenty more than needed. The long road had few stops planned throughout the days. That meant story after story told from the Doctor as Emil had little choice to listen. As the night dragged on the Doctor still spoke. Emil only wished for bandits, thieves, anyone to attack the two of them. It seemed a much better alternative than getting his ear talked off, especially because most stories of his were re-told twenty minutes later.

The tent was made and the Doctor was the first in, and the first to fall asleep. Emil kept watch by a small fire. He wasn't feeling tired or cold, but more anxious for something to happen. The bushes rustled near-by. "Finally." Emil smiled and put out the fire. He was a good swordsman in the dark as well as the light. The sound of unsheathing his sword kept that smile of a thrill on his face. A charging man came yelling behind him, axe held high.


End file.
